SAPD officer Deckard dies; pair charged with capital murder

San Antonio Police Officer Bobby Deckard is seen in an undated photo provided by the San Antonio Police Department Dec. 20, 2013. Officer Deckard died Dec. 20 at SAMMC from wounds he suffered after being shot in the head Dec. 8 while pursuing armed robbery suspects.

Photo By Courtesy SAPD

Officer Robert Deckard, 31, died this morning, nearly two weeks after he was shot in the head while pursuing armed robbery suspects on Dec. 8.

Photo By Bexar County Sheriff's Office

Shawn Ruiz Puente, 32, was arrested on Sunday, Dec. 8, 2013, in Wilson County following a three county chase that including the shooting of SAPD Officer Robert Deckard, 31, who was critically injured and taken to San Antonio Military Medical Center. Puente, along with Jenevieve Ramos, 28, who was also arrested in the case, are suspected in a string of robberies in San Antonio. She was charged with aggravated assault of a peace officer.

Photo By Bexar County Sheriff's Office

Jenevieve Ramos, 28, was arrested on Sunday, Dec. 8, 2013, in Wilson County following a three county chase that including the shooting of SAPD Officer Robert Deckard, 31, who was critically injured and taken to San Antonio Military Medical Center. Ramos and Shawn Ruiz Puente, 32, who was also arrested in the case, are suspected in a string of robberies in San Antonio. She was charged with aggravated assault of a peace officer.

Photo By Jerry Lara/San Antonio Express-News

Law enforcement personnel investigate the scene along U.S. 181 south of Floresville, Texas, Sunday, Dec. 8, 2013. It is believed that two suspects in the shooting of San Antonio Police officer Robert Deckard were arrested near the scene. Deckard, 31, is an eight-year veteran of the force and was pursuing the suspects after an armed robbery in San Antonio. The officer was struck when the suspects shot at the officer during the chase. The northbound lane of 181 was closed due to the investigation.

Photo By Jerry Lara/San Antonio Express-News

Law enforcement personnel investigate the scene along U.S. 181 south of Floresville, Texas, Sunday, Dec. 8, 2013. It is believed that two suspects in the shooting of San Antonio Police officer Robert Deckard were arrested near the scene. Deckard, 31, is an eight-year veteran of the force and was pursuing the suspects after an armed robbery in San Antonio. The officer was struck when the suspects shot at the officer during the chase. The northbound lane of 181 was closed due to the investigation.

Photo By Jerry Lara/San Antonio Express-News

Law enforcement personnel investigate the scene along U.S. 181 south of Floresville, Texas, Sunday, Dec. 8, 2013. It is believed that two suspects in the shooting of San Antonio Police officer Robert Deckard were arrested near the scene. Deckard, 31, is an eight-year veteran of the force and was pursuing the suspects after an armed robbery in San Antonio. The officer was struck when the suspects shot at the officer during the chase. The northbound lane of 181 was closed due to the investigation.

Photo By Jerry Lara/San Antonio Express-News

Law enforcement personnel investigate the scene along U.S. 181 south of Floresville, Texas, Sunday, Dec. 8, 2013. It is believed that two suspects in the shooting of San Antonio Police officer Robert Deckard were arrested near the scene. Deckard, 31, is an eight-year veteran of the force and was pursuing the suspects after an armed robbery in San Antonio. The officer was struck when the suspects shot at the officer during the chase. The northbound lane of 181 was closed due to the investigation.

Photo By Jerry Lara/San Antonio Express-News

Law enforcement personnel investigate the scene along U.S. 181 south of Floresville, Texas, Sunday, Dec. 8, 2013. It is believed that two suspects in the shooting of San Antonio Police officer Robert Deckard were arrested near the scene. Deckard, 31, is an eight-year veteran of the force and was pursuing the suspects after an armed robbery in San Antonio. The officer was struck when the suspects shot at the officer during the chase. The northbound lane of 181 was closed due to the investigation.

Photo By JERRY LARA/San Antonio Express-News

San Antonio Police Department Chief William McManus talks about Police Officer Robert Deckard, during a press conference, Sunday, Dec. 8, 2013. Deckard was shot in the head while pursuing two robbery suspects along IH-37 in Atascosa County early Sunday morning. The suspects were arrested later in Wilson County just north of Poth. Deckard remains in critical condition at San Antonio Medical Center.

Photo By JERRY LARA/San Antonio Express-News

San Antonio Police Department Chief William McManus talks about Police Officer Robert Deckard, during a press conference, Sunday, Dec. 8, 2013. Deckard was shot in the head while pursuing two robbery suspects along IH-37 in Atascosa County early Sunday morning. The suspects were arrested later in Wilson County just north of Poth. Deckard remains in critical condition at San Antonio Medical Center.

Photo By JERRY LARA/San Antonio Express-News

San Antonio Police Department Chief William McManus talks about Police Officer Robert Deckard, during a press conference, Sunday, Dec. 8, 2013. Deckard was shot in the head while pursuing two robbery suspects along IH-37 in Atascosa County early Sunday morning. The suspects were arrested later in Wilson County just north of Poth. Deckard remains in critical condition at San Antonio Medical Center.

Photo By JERRY LARA/San Antonio Express-News

San Antonio Police Department Chief William McManus talks about Police Officer Robert Deckard, during a press conference, Sunday, Dec. 8, 2013. Deckard was shot in the head while pursuing two robbery suspects along IH-37 in Atascosa County early Sunday morning. The suspects were arrested later in Wilson County just north of Poth. Deckard remains in critical condition at San Antonio Medical Center.

Officer Robert Deckard joined the SAPD in 2006.

More Information

San Antonio police killed in the line of duty since 2000

Edrees Mukhtar died Dec. 29, 2012, almost three weeks after he was hurt in a car crash while on duty.

Stephanie Brown died March 15, 2011, after a drunken driver going the wrong way crashed into her marked vehicle head- on.

Sergio Antillon, died Oct. 29, 2010, after he was taken off life support following more than two weeks of intensive care. He was struck by a drunken driver after he stopped to help a motorist on Loop 410 on his way home from work.

Robert Davis was critically injured when he was hit by another officer's patrol vehicle. He died Dec. 1, 2008.

Mario Moreno was gunned down while serving a warrant Sept. 21, 2007, the Northwest Side.

John Wheeler died Oct. 14, 2005, after a drunken driver's vehicle crashed into Wheeler's patrol car, killing him and the other driver.

Juan Morales, a motorcycle officer, died Dec. 11, 2001, in a hit-and-run wreck while on his way to work.

Hector Garza died March 29, 2001, while responding to a domestic disturbance call.

John “Rocky” Riojas died Feb. 3, 2001, when he was shot during a chase.

Oscar Perez was shot to death March 24, 2000, when he attempted to arrest a drug fugitive.

SAN ANTONIO — During a graduation ceremony for 25 Police Department cadets Friday morning, the celebratory mood was dampened by news that officer Robert Deckard had died from a gunshot wound he suffered while on duty about two weeks earlier.

Chief William McManus asked for a moment of silence before congratulating the recruits, some of whom shook his hand while their eyes teared.

The death “made it bittersweet. To be candid, it was a pretty difficult situation,” City Manager Sheryl Sculley said. “Normally for these graduates, this is a joyous occasion. But today, it was somber — a reminder of how difficult the work of a police officer is in a major city.”

Deckard, a 31-year-old father of two and seven-year veteran of the force, was shot in the head Dec. 8 while pursuing armed robbery suspects.

Reached at her La Vernia home Friday, Deckard's mother declined to comment. Funeral arrangements are pending.

“The most difficult decision that the family had to make was to let him go,” said Mike Helle, president of the San Antonio Police Officers Association. “But his family is strong, considering, and they've been handling this as well as could be expected.”

The suspects accused of shooting Deckard — Shawn Ruiz Puente, 32, and Jenevieve Ramos, 28 — were charged Friday with capital murder, punishable only by life in prison without parole or execution. Their bail was set at $1 million each.

Last week, Puente and Ramos were charged in Wilson County with aggravated assault of a public servant. Puente also was charged with aggravated robbery in Bexar County and unlawful carrying of a weapon and drug possession in Atascosa County.

District Attorney Rene Pena, whose district includes Atascosa and Wilson counties, said he has been working closely with Bexar County District Attorney Susan Reed, as the crime spree Puente and Ramos are linked to began in Bexar County but then spread across two of his counties. The Texas Rangers are investigating the incident.

“I'm anticipating that we will get a grand jury sometime in January,” Pena said. “It's a tragedy, obviously, and my condolences to the family, friends and loved ones of officer Deckard.”

Deckard was filling in for another officer on the South Side when he spotted a car about 2 a.m. that matched the description of one involved in several armed robberies, authorities have said.

Deckard pursued the vehicle into Atascosa County, and shots were fired from it near mile marker 109 on Interstate 37, police said.

A bullet pierced the windshield of Deckard's patrol car and struck him in the forehead as he was driving, causing the officer to crash.

The suspect vehicle then was driven to Wilson County, where it was abandoned, authorities said. Later in the morning, Puente and Ramos were captured in a ravine, Atascosa County Sheriff David Soward said.

Deckard grew up in San Antonio, attending Highlands High School. Then-head football coach Ken Gray said he wasn't surprised that the former defensive back was filling in for someone else when injured.

“That would be Bobby, always there to do what needed to be done for the team,” he said. “He wasn't the most talented (football player) by any means, but kids respected him, and you knew he would end up in some kind of authoritative role.”

Teammate Nic Williams graduated alongside Deckard in 2000 after a 10-0 senior season. After graduation, they went separate ways but reconnected about a year ago at an alumni flag football game.

In high school, Williams said Deckard always talked about becoming a police officer, so hearing the news that he followed through with the goal was no surprise.

“To me, he's kind of like the poster child for civil service. It takes a lot of hard work and he's one of those guys willing to sacrifice himself for others,” he said. “When you think about the force, you always thought about Bobby Deckard.”

Mayor Julián Castro said he visited with Deckard's family in the hospital shortly after the shooting and offered his condolences Friday.

“This reminds us of why we're so thankful for the men and women in our Police Department who protect us,” he said. “Everyone is so proud of the work that Officer Deckard did and we wish his family godspeed.”

Castro has asked the San Antonio business community to lower flags through Dec. 30 in Deckard's honor.

Since 2000, 11 San Antonio police officers have died in the line of duty, though Deckard is the first to have been fatally shot since 2007.

According to the Officer Down Memorial Page, he's the 99th law enforcement officer in the U.S. to die while on duty this year.

The law enforcement community has rallied around Deckard's family over the past two weeks. Thousands have responded to the Police Department's Facebook updates on Deckard expressing sympathy, and a fund was set up to help his family at Generations Federal Credit Union.

By midday Friday, hundreds of people had left messages for the family on the Officer Down Memorial Page's online tribute.

Relatives had released a statement Wednesday suggesting the end was near.

“Although it pains us to let him go, we must begin to and are thankful for the fact that we have had these few precious days with him since he was injured,” the statement said. “We do take pride in knowing that Bobby was doing what he loved doing; protecting the citizens of San Antonio.”

His organs will be donated, the statement said.

Before joining the police force in October 2006, Deckard worked as a jailer for the Bexar County Sheriff's Office from December 2004 to September 2006, state records show.

Joel Janssen, president of the Deputy Sheriff's Association of Bexar County, recalled working with the then-rookie deputy.

“He was a hard worker,” Janssen said. “And he actually cared for his fellow workers. He never forgot about the guys at the jail even though he went on to SAPD.”

Shortly after Deckard changed departments, Janssen said he was surprised to see him at a fundraiser at the jail to benefit an officer in need.

“That's what I remember about him — he was a real caring guy,” he said.